This Creamy Healthy Carbonara With Sweet Potato Noodles is a gluten-free twist on a classic pasta recipe!
This recipe puts me in a throwback playlist-on-repeat kind of mood. There’s something about a creamy, cozy pasta dish (except it’s not even pasta) that makes me want to do a little kitchen dance. And I’ve absolutely done that while spiralizing sweet potatoes and sneaking bacon before I can even finish making my meal.
This recipe started out as a way of stretching some leftovers from dinner the night before, but I learned quickly not to trust myself with leftovers like that. I fully intended to save a portion for Mr. FFF’s lunch so I wouldn’t have to fuss with making a sandwich that requires, yes, exactly 2.2 slices of ham. But then I went to put the carbonara in a container, and I just kept picking at it. A bite here, another there. One thing led to another, and… guess I’m making the ham sandwich after all.
I love that this recipe gives you the feel of a traditional carbonara—creamy, salty, and a bit indulgent—but with a healthier twist. Sweet potato noodles have a soft, springy bite, and their natural sweetness pairs really well with the salty, fatty bacon. And the sauce couldn’t be any simpler; it’s just eggs and goat cheese, whisked into a velvety blanket of richness that coats every noodle. It tastes like a dish you’d get at a restaurant, but it’s simple enough to pull off in your own kitchen, and you won’t need to take a carb nap right after.
Is Creamy Carbonara With Sweet Potato Noodles Healthy?
Healthier is the key word. While the sauce and bacon aren’t too different from the components of a traditional carbonara, the pasta swap makes all the difference. Sweet potatoes are a superfood loaded with fiber, potassium, and vitamin A. As a plus, they’re also naturally gluten-free. There’s also an egg, which adds protein, vitamin D, and choline. Of course, there is also bacon and cheese in this recipe, which adds some saturated fat and sodium, so I recommend enjoying the dish in moderation.
What Is Traditional Carbonara?
Traditional carbonara is a Roman pasta dish made with spaghetti, guanciale (cured pork jowl), egg, cheese (usually either Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano), and salt and pepper. The dish has little recorded history in Italy until after World War II, when it became a hit with American tourists in Rome.
Why? Well, one theory is that an Italian cook made the dish for U.S. soldiers sometime in the 1940s after the liberation of Rome, using the ingredients that came with the troops’ rations. Today, it’s a popular dish that’s known for its rich flavor and creamy sauce, despite the fact that it uses only a few simple ingredients.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Keep your leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 3 days. When reheating, use low heat on the stove or microwave in short bursts, stirring often so the sauce doesn’t break or dry out. I would not recommend freezing this dish.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet potato noodle carbonara is plenty hearty on its own, but if you want to make it more of a multi-course meal, I love serving it with some Garlic Toast and a drizzle of Garlic-Infused Olive Oil. I can’t get enough veggie sides, either. These Garlic-Parmesan Green Beans and this Sautéed Broccolini are the perfect contrast to the creamy carbonara sauce, while an Antipasto Salad adds a refreshing element to the mix. I can’t resist a Wine Spritzer on the side, either!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon
- 12 ounces sweet potato spiralized
- 1 large egg
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp, around 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to blot off the excess oil, and then cut it up into small strips. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
- Add the spiralized sweet potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes just begin to wilt, about 8-10 minutes,
- While the potatoes cook, whisk together the egg and goat cheese until creamy.
- Once the potato noodles are tender, stir in the bacon strips. Then quickly pour the cheese/egg mixture into the pan and stir until the mixture has slightly thickened and is evenly coating the potato noodles.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.
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